Summer at Lyonesse
by Trinity Day
Summary: Mr. and Mrs. Potter just may have taken their lives into their hands when they allowed James to have his friends - and his girlfriend - over for the summer. A MWPP story. *Incomplete*
1.

Summer at Lyonesse

Disclaimer: The characters don't belong to me. You all know that. You all know that they belong to the wonderful author that we all know and worship, J.K. Rowling.

Summary: Mr. and Mrs. Potter just may have taken their lives into their hands when they allowed James to have his friends - and girlfriend - over for the summary. This part - Lily arrives "early" and she and Mrs. Potter have a heart-to-heart. 

Author's Note: These will probably read more like a couple of inter-connected short stories than a longer, chaptered story. I'm sure some of you recognize Lyonesse. I'm sorry; I just couldn't help myself. Thanks to my beta readers for helping me whip this into shape.

Part One

Lily eyed the lion-head doorknocker suspiciously. She couldn't quite decide whether it was safe to knock. Normally she wouldn't hesitate, but not only did it belong to a wizarding family - who took it for granted that inanimate objects did not always behave the way they were supposed to - but more importantly, this doorknocker belonged to the Potters.

Mr. and Mrs. Potter were nice enough, but Lily was more concerned that her boyfriend, James Potter, might have modified the doorknocker as a joke. Even more likely was that Sirius Black, James' best friend and the biggest prankster at Hogwarts, would do something like that. He, Lily knew, was spending the entire summer at James' house.

Still, it would not do for Lily to stand on the steps of Lyonesse, the Potter's home, until someone noticed her. Her sister, who had given Lily a lift, was long gone. Lily wasn't surprised; Petunia despised magic in all forms. The only reason she had consented to give Lily a lift to Lyonesse was because that was the only way her parents would let her have a car for a week so she could go to Blackpool for holidays with her friends.

"You, er, aren't going to bite me, or anything, are you?" Lily asked the doorknocker. "I'm going to knock and I'd really appreciate it if you didn't."

The lion remained silent so Lily carefully raised her hand and rapped on the door. Much to her relief, the lion only purred contentedly at the attention. It was a few moments before Mrs. Potter came to the door.

"Lily!" she exclaimed, when she saw who was there. "What are you doing here?"

A little alarmed at the reaction, Lily said, "I know James told you I'd be here around noon, and I'm sorry I'm late, but Petunia, my sister, that is, left a little later than I thought she would. I hope you weren't waiting."

"Oh, I wasn't," Mrs. Potter told her, opening the door wider and helping Lily with her trunk. "In fact, James actually told me you weren't coming till tomorrow, so I wasn't expecting you yet."

Lily stopped abruptly, almost dropping her end of the trunk.

"Here," Mrs. Potter said kindly, taking out her wand. "Let me take that."

"I told James today, the 27th," Lily said, letting Mrs. Potter charm her trunk into floating a few feet above the ground.

"Somewhere along the way your owls must have got crossed, because James said you wouldn't be here until tomorrow."

"I'm sorry," Lily apologized. "I didn't mean to come by unannounced."

"Fiddlesticks," Mrs. Potter said firmly, leading Lily up the main staircase. "I just don't have your room made up, that's all. And that won't take two shakes of a wand to do."

She set Lily's trunk down in a room painted a rich forest green. Smaller than Lily's room at home, it was still a good size. The bed was bare, but Mrs. Potter quickly remedied that by conjuring up some bed sheets and a white and green patterned quilt. Lily looked around the room. With a dainty dressing table in one corner, a full-size mirror on the wall and a small set of drawers nestled by the bed, it was a pretty little room and she liked it instantly.

"My room's just around the corner," Mrs. Potter tittered away cheerfully, "and James and Sirius are both up on the third floor. Remus and Peter will also be sleeping there when they come, but we thought it best if you sleep down here."

"Thank you," Lily said.

"James and Sirius are out, unfortunately, doing Lord knows what. I don't know what time they'll be back."

"That's okay," Lily said. "I'll find something to do until then. I can unpack."

"Actually, if you wouldn't mind, I've been meaning to talk to you and I can't do it while James is around," Mrs. Potter said. "Come down to the kitchen with me, will you? I've got something in the oven and I don't want it to burn."

Wondering what her boyfriend's mother wanted to say to her that couldn't be said in front of James, Lily followed Mrs. Potter into the kitchen. Even though she had only been to Lyonesse once before and didn't know her way around it very well, Lily could have easily found the kitchen on her own, simply by following the delectable aroma of freshly baked cookies wafting from the room.

Mrs. Potter opened the oven door and looked at the pie inside with a critical eye. "Ten more minutes," she announced, shutting the door again.

"It's my baking day today," she explained when she saw Lily look around at the counter, which was covered with cookies, pies and pastries of all imaginable sorts. "I thought that since all of James' friends were going to be around, it was best to stock up beforehand."

"Do you need any help?" Lily asked, more out of politeness than anything else. Cookies, she could manage all right, but anything more complicated than that, she either ruined or burned.

Thankfully, Mrs. Potter said that she was fine. She sat down at the table and motioned for Lily to do the same.

"Now keep in mind that I'm not condoning this," she began. "But I was your age once, and I'm not so old yet that I don't remember what it was like."

She paused, but Lily didn't know if she was expected to say anything, so she patiently waited for Mrs. Potter to continue.

"Your parents are Muggles, aren't they?"

Mystified, Lily nodded. She was sure that Mrs. Potter already knew that and wondered why she had asked.

"I'm not sure what they use, and, no offence to them or to you, but I'm sure they aren't as reliable as our methods. I couldn't talk to James about this, obviously. I love my son, but he is a man, and men rarely think about responsibility and repercussions under those circumstances."

"Er, what circumstances?" Lily hated to interrupt, but she feared that if she didn't, she would never know what Mrs. Potter was trying to tell her. "What are you talking about?"

Mrs. Potter blinked. "Why, birth control, of course."

Lily felt herself go red and knew that if she looked in a mirror, her face would be darker than her hair. "I'm not - I mean, we're not - James and I - " she stammered.

"I'm glad to hear that, dear," Mrs. Potter said. "I didn't mean to imply anything, but you and James have been going out for a year now and sooner or later, you will. And as much as I'd love to have grandchildren, I'd like it if both you and James were out of Hogwarts first, at the very least."

"But we can't - not at Hogwarts - the rules - " Lily was still struggling, and losing the fight, to be coherent.

"Like anyone cares about whether it's against the rules or not. You're forgetting who my son is. I've received more owls about James than I thought they sent."

"Sirius has had more," Lily said weakly.

"I don't doubt it. Alone, they're bad enough, but when they're together . . . " Mrs. Potter shook her head. "They've been quite the handful."

"He's been here all summer, hasn't he? Sirius, I mean."

"Yes," Mrs. Potter answered. "We thought it would be better than letting his poor grandmother try to deal with him. I've had him over often enough before, what with his parents - " She visibly cut herself off and there was an awkward pause. "But I won't speak ill of the dead," she finished stiffly.

Lily would have liked to know more, but she didn't think it would be tactful to ask. She knew very little about Sirius' home life before his parents had died, mostly because neither he nor James would speak of it. From what she did know, she gathered it wasn't ideal. Luckily, the buzzer went off, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Lily noticed that the timer had switched from 'almost ready' to 'hurry up and get this pie out before it burns!'

"You do like blueberry, don't you?" Mrs. Potter asked Lily, taking the pie out of the oven. "James said you did."

"It's my favourite," Lily confided.

"Good. It's too hot now, but we can have it after dinner. Well, then," she said, setting the pie onto a cookie rack so it could cool off, "I have something for you. Wait here."

Mrs. Potter left the kitchen, coming back a few minutes later with a fine gold necklace with a small talisman on it. She handed it to Lily.

"This is very pretty," Lily said. "Thank you."

"It also prevents conception," Mrs. Potter told her. "Wear it as often as you can, preferably always. It's one of the most effective talismans that I know of. In fact, when you decide you are ready to have children, it often takes two or three months for the effects to wear off. However," she added, growing sterner, "if you and James do find yourself having sex and you haven't been wearing it for at least a week beforehand, there is a charm that I can teach you that works almost as well. It's very easy. _Non concipio._"

"_Non concipio_," Lily repeated dutifully.

"You don't even need a wand for it. But as I said, the necklace works the best. Although the charm's reliable enough, it doesn't always work. And if you want to be extra careful, you can use more than one method at a time, including any James might know."

"Thank you," Lily said, still very embarrassed. That had been just about the last conversation she had ever expected to have with Mrs. Potter. She hadn't even had it with her own mother, who didn't believe in pre-marital sex and thought abstinence was the only acceptable form of birth control.

"It's no problem, dear," Mrs. Potter assured her. "Besides, it's always better to be safe than sorry. Here, let me help you with that." She took the two ends of the necklace from Lily and fastened the clasp.

"Thank you," Lily said again, tucking the necklace under her top. She didn't want anyone, especially James, to see or recognize it.

"You're welcome," Mrs. Potter said kindly. I know what it's like, not knowing what to do. My mother decided that that wasn't something a proper young lady knew. I'm just lucky my grandma didn't agree with her and gave me this necklace when I was a bit younger than you."

"Is it very old, then?" Lily asked.

"Yes. It's been in my family for generations. The old ones work best, you know. I wouldn't trust anything you could buy in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade these days."

"Maybe I shouldn't take it, then," Lily said, her hands going to the back of her neck. "I mean, if it's been in your family for so long."

"Fiddlesticks," Mrs. Potter said. "If I didn't give it to you, who would I give it to? I don't have a daughter and it certainly won't do James any good."

"If you're sure," Lily said doubtfully.

"I'm sure. I'd be offended if you didn't take it."

"Okay, then," Lily said, neatly folding her hands on the table.

"Would you like some tea?" Mrs. Potter offered. "Something to eat?"

"Tea would be nice, but I'm not very - " Lily was interrupted by the sound of a door opening and then slamming shut.

Both women turned in the direction of James' voice. "Mum!" he cried. "We're back."

He and Sirius came straight into the kitchen, probably tempted by the wonderful smells of the baked goods. They both went to the counter immediately, not even noticing Mrs. Potter or Lily.

"Mmm," James said very eloquently. "Cookies." He took two and stuffed them into his mouth.

Meanwhile, Sirius had gone to the pie. "Is this blueberry?" he asked. "I love blueberry."

He was just about to stick his finger into it to test the filling when Lily said sternly, "Don't you dare, Sirius Black. The pie's for dessert."

James choked on his cookie, a few crumbs falling out of his mouth. "Lily? What are you doing here?" he asked thickly. His mouth was still full of cookie, so it was hard to understand what he was saying.

"I've come to visit you, remember?" Lily said acidly.

"Yeah, but you weren't supposed to come until tomorrow."

"No," Lily disputed. "I said today."

"No." James shook his head. "I know you said tomorrow. I distinctly remember reading the 27th."

Sirius, who had been trying to sneak a taste of the pie while Lily and James were arguing, started to snicker. Even Mrs. Potter looked amused. Lily, though, was dumbfounded.

James, looking around at them, demanded, "What?"

"Prongs, you twit, today is the 27th," Sirius said in his usual tactful manner.

"No it isn't. Today's the 26th. Tomorrow's the 27th, the day Lily was supposed to come."

"Check the calendar, you idiot." Sirius hit him upside the head and James, unable to let that pass, punched Sirius in the shoulder. They probably would have started brawling if Mrs. Potter had not stepped in.

"Enough," she said with a surprising amount of steel in her voice. "James, today is the 27th and Lily is here. Sirius, it's an easy enough mistake to make. I seem to remember you trying to go to the Friday dance on Thursday night a couple of weeks ago."

"And James said the same things to me then that I said to him now. I was just returning the favour," Sirius said, unperturbed.

James had gone over to the calendar, still unwilling to believe he was wrong. When he got the final confirmation, his cheeks flushed slightly. "Sorry," he apologized. "I really thought you weren't coming until tomorrow."

"And the letter I send you yesterday, saying I'd see you today didn't give you a clue?" Lily asked.

James shrugged. "I just thought you were confused."

"You just thought I was confused," Lily repeated in disbelief. "Unbelievable."

"How thick are you, Prongs?" Sirius asked.

"Shut up, Padfoot."

"Shut up, Padfoot."

"I said, enough," Mrs. Potter repeated, a finality in her voice that neither James nor Sirius dared to challenge. "Why don't you go show Lily around the house, then owl Remus and find out when he's coming."

"He's coming tomorrow, mum," James said in a tone that suggested that he had already told her that several times and was sick of repeating himself.

"Now, would that be one of your tomorrows, or a normal person's tomorrow?" Sirius asked with the innocent look he had perfected in his first year.

"Oh… right. Perhaps I should send an owl to Moony."

"And just what do you know about a normal person's anything, Sirius?" Lily asked.

"Very funny Lily." Sirius said. Unfortunately, that drew Mrs. Potter's attention to him. He had been inching his way closer to the pie, trying for a third time to taste it.

"Scoot," she said, but not angrily. "All of you. Out of my kitchen before I set the ghoul on you."

They left, but not before James and Sirius pilfered a dozen cookies right from beneath Mrs. Potter's nose. As they were climbing the stairs up to the third floor where James' room was, happily munching on cookies (James had very graciously offered Lily one of his own), Sirius commented, "You know, it's so much easier getting food from the house elves. They can't give it away fast enough."

The End  
Saturday, July 14, 2001


	2. 

**Summer at Lyonesse**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, etc. Everything Harry Potter related was created by the great J.K. Rowling. I am not making any money off of this and I only do it for fun. And feedback. But not money.**

**Summary: Mr. and Mrs. Potter just may have taken their lives into their hands when they allowed James to have his friends - and girlfriend - over for the summary. This part - The gang receives their Hogwarts letters and a few surprises.**

**Author's Note: These will probably read more like a couple of inter-connected short stories than a longer, chaptered story. Also, sorry about the incredible wait between chapters. I will not try to give you any lame excuses, just say that I'm very, very sorry. The next part will not take so long, I promise. And lastly, thank you very much to my betas.**

**Thank you to everyone who took the time to review this story. It means a lot to me.**

**Part Two**

Lily first awoke when the boys got up. It was hard not to, what with their thunk, thunk, thunking up on the third floor. However, with a groan she turned over and, putting a pillow firmly over her head, promptly fell back to sleep.

Alas, her slumber was once again disturbed, when a few minutes later the whole lot of them came thundering down the stairs. Although she tried to ignore the din, Lily found it impossible to do so as it continued from the first floor. Giving into the inevitable, Lily dragged herself out of bed and over to the mirror. She stared into it and a pair of heavy-lidded eyes, their brilliant green shade barely visible, blinked back at her sleepily.

"Brush your hair at least, dearie," the mirror advised. "You don't want it to be seen in its present state, even if it is just for breakfast."

"Thanks," Lily said, for once agreeing with it. She didn't get along very well with her mirror; it was too vain. They got into numerous fights over Lily's looks. The mirror didn't think she spend nearly enough time primping in front of it and Lily didn't think she should have to look good enough for a night out on town during her summer holidays.

Lily grabbed her brush from the dresser and started to calm her tangled locks of red hair.

"Much better," the mirror said approvingly when she was finished. "Now if you'll just change into some nicer robes . . . "

"I knew it!" Lily accused. "You had no intention of letting me go down there in my nightgown, did you?"

"Of course not," the mirror snapped, losing its temper. "You look dreadful. How you could even think about leaving this room looking as you do, I don't know. There are _boys_ down there. How can you ever expect to impress them if you look like you just got out of bed?"

"I _did_ just get out of bed," argued Lily.

"But they should never know that," the mirror explained. "You'll never catch a husband that way. How can you expect a man to marry you if he knows what you look like first thing in the morning?"

Clenching her teeth, Lily said, "I can get a husband on my own, thank you very much. I'm going downstairs now, looking just the way I am."

She turned to leave and the mirror called after her, "Just see if I help you on your wedding day. Not that you'll have one at this rate."

The sound of a door slamming was all the answer the mirror received. Lily's resolve to go immediately downstairs, however, changed when, after covering a huge yawn with her hand, she wrinkled her nose and decided that going downstairs could wait until after she brushed her teeth.

Ten minutes later Lily left sanity and entered the madhouse that was more commonly known as the kitchen. Thanks to the mirror's efforts she looked better than the majority of the people there. But then, considering four of them were teenage boys, it was hardly surprising.

None of them had even thought about even brushing their hair before coming downstairs (although in James' case it didn't make any difference). Peter didn't look too bad, but that was because his hair was cut so short that there wasn't many ways it could go.

Mr. Potter was the only calm rock in a sea of chaos. He was sitting quietly at the kitchen table reading the _Daily Prophet_, drinking his coffee and ignoring the madness that was unfolding around him. Mrs. Potter was running around trying to make breakfast, get ready for her meeting at the Ministry and avoid the boys' impromptu game of Kitchen Quidditch all at the same time. She hurried out of the room at the same time Lily came in.

As Lily sat down to a chorus of "G'morning Lily", Sirius took a break from the game to rescue the sausages, which were starting to burn. Peter, unfortunately, noticed a second too late and Sirius was hit in the back with an apple that had been designated as a Bludger. "Sorry," he said, wincing.

"Oww!" Sirius yelped, almost dropping the sausages. "That hurt!"

"I said I was sorry."

"Here I am," Sirius complained, "trying to rescue the food, and what do you do? You attack me." He carefully placed the sausages on an unused burner, then turned around and sent the apple flying back at Peter.

The latter - expecting such a move from Sirius - was able to duck out of the way in plenty of time, but that meant the fruit was now on a crash course with Lily. She noticed, but just in time and the apple whizzed past her ear, barely missing hitting her.

It was Sirius' turn to wince. "Sorry, Lil," he said.

"Watch it!" Lily shrieked, sitting back up in her chair. "What are you guys doing?"

"Playing Kitchen Quidditch," came the answer. "What does it look like?"

"It looks like you're throwing fruit at each other, that's what it looks like."

"That's because we are," James explained with a quirky grin. "Kitchen Quidditch is played like regular Quidditch, except with only the Bludgers."

"Boys," Lily muttered. "Quidditch with only the Bludgers. How typical."

Sensing her bad mood, Peter tried to placate her. "Sirius wasn't aiming at you," he said.

"But he still almost hit me," Lily said. "Why do your parents put up with this, James?"

With a charming grin, Sirius responded for his best friend. "Because they're so kind and understanding."

"How can we not be understanding after they explained the rules of the game?" Mrs. Potter asked, re-entering the kitchen. Her long brown hair was swept up in an impeccable French twist without a single strand out of place - a stark contrast from the bird's nest it had been only a few short minutes ago. "I mean, at first I had my doubts, but when the boys so carefully explained how if they hit, broke, maimed or otherwise injured anything or anyone they would spend the next week cleaning out the attic without magic - well who was I to protest? The attic needs desperate cleaning out, after all."

Peter, Remus and James looked decidedly uncomfortable, as if they hadn't known about that aspect of the game earlier, but Sirius was not perturbed.

"Just like I was saying," he said, sounding very satisfied.

Lily rolled her eyes while Mrs. Potter tended to breakfast. The boys went back to their game, though everyone except Sirius was going to great pains to be more careful at first.

Mrs. Potter was putting the food on the table a couple of minutes later when Mr. Potter, looking up briefly from his newspaper while he turned the page, noted, "Mail's here." His comment was made in a mild voice and at first no one took any notice. Then several things happened at once.

There was a loud clatter as Mrs. Potter dropped the plate of toast and whipped out her wand. She knocked the orange-Bludger out of the way of the incoming owl just in time. The owl, hooting wildly, dropped the letters into the middle of the table rather ungratefully and flew away as quickly as possible.

"It's our Hogwarts letters," Sirius said, fishing one out of the pitcher of milk. He handed the sopping letter to James. "Here, Prongs, this one's yours."

"How can you tell?" James asked, staring at the undecipherable smudge of ink that had been a name.

Sirius shrugged. "Quid pro quo. You threw the orange at the owl, it dropped your letter in the milk."

Shoving Sirius to the side, James said, "I didn't throw the orange, you did."

"Actually," Remus said, "I think Peter did."

"It doesn't matter who it was," Mrs. Potter said, rounding on them in a fury. "I warned you - I _warned_ you, and what happened? You almost killed that owl!"

"But we didn't, did we?" Sirius all too often was adopted an attitude that if everything turned out all right in the end there was no need to worry about it. It infuriated the professors at Hogwarts and it didn't mollify Mrs. Potter any, either.

Luckily, James knew his mother better than Sirius did. "We're sorry, Mum. No one was hurt. Why don't you finish getting ready for your meeting? We'll make sure the kitchen's cleaned up after breakfast."

Mrs. Potter relented. "All right, but only because I'm running late. Mind you, this kitchen had better be spotless when I come home tonight."

"It will be," James promised.

She left and James sat down at the table with a relived sigh. Papers ruffled and Mr. Potter said, "I wouldn't think of cutting corners this time, James. Your mum's upset and if the kitchen's still a mess, she'll very likely follow through on her threat to make you clean out the attic."

"I know, Dad," James said. "I won't." He piled food onto his plate and everyone else followed suit.

Lily looked down at the thick parchment envelope that bore her name. She had been too caught up in Mrs. Potter's anger to open it. So had, it seemed, the other boys.

Sirius had been right; James' letter was the one that had ended up in the milk. Instead of trying to read his own, James seemed content to let his best friend read the letter for him.

Dear Mr. Black,

We are astonished to tell you that against all odds, you have been allowed to continue your education at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry for your final year.

The new school year will begin on the first of September. Considering it started on the same day last year, and the year before that, and the year before that, and the decade before that, and probably even three centuries before that - hell, the first term at Hogwarts has started on September the first for time out of mind. The very first students Godric Gryffindor and the others had way back when Hogwarts was founded probably had their very first term starting on September the first. So if you are in the least bit surprised by this information, I must confess to be extremely disappointed in you. But since you are the most intelligent - not to mention the most handsome! - student Hogwarts has seen for over a century, I find it difficult to believe you were not already knowledgeable about this.

For the same reasons, I will leave it up to your imagination to decide when and from where the Hogwarts Express departs.

Allow me to take this opportunity to remind you of Hogwarts' more important rules. Headmaster Dumbledore will undoubtedly go through these on the first day of the term (that's September 1st, in case you've forgotten), but since I have your undivided attention right now, I thought I would reiterate them. Perhaps if you hear them enough, these rules may actually start to sink in.

First, the Forbidden Forest was not named such to dare such students as yourself to enter it. No indeed, it was named so to keep students out_. Please refrain from entering the Forest during your final year here at Hogwarts._

At this point Sirius broke off form his narrative. "Well I'll be," he said, apparently awestruck. "_Now_ they tell us. A little late, isn't it? Just imagine how different life would have been if they had told us that back in first year."

"What?" Lily asked. "You would have gone in there your first week instead of waiting for your second?"

"Exactly," Sirius exclaimed before going back to the letter:

Second, you have been given permission to go to Hogsmeade during the designated Hogsmeade weekends, not every weekend. Moreover, you are not permitted to go into Hogsmeade village whenever the notion takes you. Also, be reminded that just because it is a Hogsmeade weekend does not mean you can spend the entire weekend in Hogsmeade. There is still a curfew in effect at Hogwarts, another thing you would benefit from remembering.

Third . . . well this is not as much a rule as a request. You are a man of considerable - Sirius made a suggestive pause - _charms. Please take care to tone them down a touch. It will not do to have the whole of Hogwarts' female population swooning at your feet._

This proved too much for his friends.

"Maybe of fright," James said, "but I can't see any other reason for girls to faint at the sight of Sirius."

"I don't know," Remus said thoughtfully. "It could very well be his smell."

"And do you smell me often, Moony?" Sirius asked, managing to add layers of innuendo to his words. It was a gift.

"Honestly, Sirius," Lily said crossly. "You flirt with anything with two legs."

"Give him a little credit, Lil," James said.

Lily raised her eyebrows skeptically. Raising both wasn't a effective as raising just one, like her friend Anna could, but despite hours spent practicing in front of a mirror, Lily still hadn't mastered the art of raising just one.

James finished his thought. "He has, on the occasion, been known to flirt with things with four legs."

"Why, you - " Sirius launched himself at James and wrestled him to the ground.

Then Mrs. Potter, who, Lily figured, had to have some kind of magical radar to know just when she was needed, came back into the kitchen now dressed in formal robes. Instantly James and Sirius were on their feet, looking as innocent as babes except for a small guilty glint in the back of their eyes that was only visible if you knew what you were looking for.

Mrs. Potter gave them a hard look but said nothing, helping herself to some breakfast instead.

Sirius sat down and went back to the letter. "That's it," he said, his eyes scrolling down the parchment. "Yours very sincerely, etc. Oh, there is a postal script. _You are a sex god. I will never forget that night when -_ " he cleared his throat and primly folded the letter again. "That part's a little private."

"That's odd," Remus said dryly. "My letter was the standard one, telling me about the start of the new term and listing the books and supplies I will need."

Sirius shrugged. "We all know they like me more. It only stands to reason my letter was personalized."

"I did get a new prefect badge," Remus continued, holding it up. "They changed the design."

It was difficult to see the changes to the badge at the angle Remus was holding it - besides which, Sirius had already stolen Remus' badge - so Lily opened her own letter at last to get a closer look at the badge she knew to be inside.

Her letter, she discovered, was not the standard welcome back to Hogwarts, nor did it resemble Sirius' version.

"Mine's really different," she said faintly in a would-be casual voice. "I'm Head Girl."

There was a loud, "You're _what_?" from Sirius before she was flooded with congratulations by everyone else there.

"I knew you could do it," James murmured, going over to her and kissing her cheek.

Lily tilted her head so that their lips could meet, but a quick peck was all they were willing to do in front of an audience.

Mr. Potter neatly folded up his newspaper and carefully straightened out the creases. Taking one last sip of his coffee, he said, "Well, I'm off." He Apparated off to work.

"What?" Mrs. Potter cried out. "What time is it?" She looked over at the kitchen clock and its hands swung to "You're late." Mrs. Potter gave out a most unmother-like exclamation and hurried off.

"Mum. Mum. Mum. Mum." James kept on repeating her name until Mrs. Potter hopped back into the room, trying to put an earring on with one hand and a shoe on with the other.

"What?" she asked, more than a little annoyed.

"Your wand." He held it out to her and Mrs. Potter took it gratefully.

"Thanks, James," she said, sounding embarrassed at her earlier outburst. Then she, too, Apparated away.

"The scary thing is that she goes through the exact same thing every morning," Sirius commented.

"That's my mum," James said lightly. "Now I suppose we should get started on the kitchen."

None of the boys, much to Lily's surprised, objected. Perhaps the numerous detentions they had received in Hogwarts had made them used to carrying out punishments without grumbling. Somehow she doubted it though.

"Hey, James," Peter called out. "Do you want me to throw this out?" He held up James' illegible Hogwarts letter.

"No, I should get my badge out first." He took the letter from Peter and ripped it open. It was more difficult than it normally would have been because the paper was soggy and clung together. In the end he settled for simply clearing the paper off of the badge.

When James went to the sink to rinse the milky residue off his badge he stopped and laughed. His friends regarded him curiously.

"What so funny?" Lily asked.

"You'll never guess who's Head Boy," James said.

"No."

"You?"

"You're kidding, right?"

Lily started to giggle. "No offence, James, but are you sure? Head Boys usually are a little more . . . Well, they tend to . . . I mean . . . " She couldn't find the right words.

"James, you're vying with me for most detentions of our year," Sirius said bluntly.

"Only because you have this unbelievable need to take credit for everything you do," James shot back.

"Professor Sinistra says we should never do anything we are ashamed to put our name on," Sirius said properly.

"Yes," James said, "but when you tell the teachers we were responsible for making everything in the Great Hall pink, is it any wonder we get in trouble for it?"

"That was years ago!"

Lily felt ready to scream. "Cut it out," she ordered. "Congratulations, James."

Their argument forgotten, Sirius said, "Yeah, congratulations. Oh! You're Head Boy and Head Girl together! How romantic. Now you have to get married and have a kid and it can be the Head Baby."

Remus put a stop to Sirius' babbling, thankfully, by throwing a tea towel at him, hitting the black-haired boy in the face. "We washed," he said, indicating himself and Peter. "You can dry."

"I don't suppose you'd like to help," James asked Lily pointedly. She was still sitting at the kitchen table, idly watching the clean-up.

Scrunching up her face, Lily pretended to think about it for a moment before answering, "Nah. I wasn't the one stupid enough to be playing Kitchen Quidditch after all."

James scowled, but didn't try to convince her further to help. He and Sirius cheated and used magic to dry the dishes. With the help of magic, it took them less than ten minutes to finish cleaning the kitchen.

"You missed a spot," Lily pointed out helpfully.

She was buried in tea towels.

The End  
Thursday, January 31, 2002>


End file.
